Moonlight Sonata
by titansizedpizza
Summary: A young warlock befriends a demon. As the warlock starts to grow older over the course of several years, he finds that his bond with his demon grows into something more as well.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:So uh I really wanted to make an au like this, and here it is. I hope you all enjoy! Just just tags really quick. (Warlock Levi, Demon Eren.)**_

_**As a quick note as well, Levi is going to be kid-ish age in the first couple of chapters. Just throwing that out there before you start reading. Otherwise enjoy!~**_

* * *

Tonight was the night and Levi was a shaking mess. It was only the third clan meeting he has ever went to in his three years of being an initiated warlock and it never got easier. It was full of intimidating old men and women, some of who shot looks of disgust at little Levi ever since he was born, which is saying something because he is only ten and he's only met them three times.

His mother told him this morning that it was the meeting where he would summon his first familiar, one that he would grow up sharing an unbreakable bond with but he couldn't help but feel disgruntled and angry about it. He didn't want some pesky demon following him around for the rest of his life. What if he had to go to the bathroom, were they going to follow him in there too? He asked his mother and she said if they want to then they can. "It's only because they love you sweetie!" This only served to make him look off into the distance and pray to whatever gods that were out there to save his poor soul and he certainly wasn't going to worship a devil like other clan members do.

He flopped down on his bed and kicked his legs up and down out of irritated anticipation.

His father told him he shouldn't be acting the way he is about this because it's an important night for him but he just can't help it. He's fine with being by himself all the time, so why is he being made to force a demon to become his minion, a mindless slave? It just doesn't make sense to him. He grunts into his maroon bedsheets.

Shackling a demon and making it his, it doesn't sit well in his mind and everytime he thinks of doing such an act a heavy pressure settles in his chest, a feeling akin to guilt. This isn't the way a warlock is supposed to think; he knows this because he's been told almost thousands of times by his schoolmates that consist of mages and wizards.

He wishes he could have been born a mage because then he could have one of their cool staffs that they channel their energy into. He's always stuck with his stupid Grimoire all the time because he can't even remember a decent spell, let alone actually do one correctly. And supposedly, your demon is supposed to amplify your powers. Again, why does he have to rely on such a thing?

Wizards have it nice too, he sighs. They can perform magic through their very fingertips without calling on some dark force like he has to. He's tired of being associated with darkness all the time - he just wants to be seen differently from almost all other members of his warlock clan.

They're all sadistic freaks and he doesn't care that he's one of them too because he knows that somehow he must be different.

The raw energy his clan draws up from the depths of Hell is a volatile force to reckon with. Warlocks are the only beings except demons of course that are able to channel and wield it properly without damaging their souls. He's always wondered what would happen if a curious mage tried to mess around with the dark arts like he dealt with on a daily basis, would he witness their spirit tear up into pieces? Or would some godly hand come down with a blast of righteousness and snatch it up to protect it? Would he see the devil himself raise from the Underworld and take it as his own? He doesn't know and he feels like everytime he thinks such a thing it makes him just like the rest of his clan - a twisted creature of this world that shouldn't exist. He's just curious right? That's what he likes to tell himself.

Interrupting his vague thoughts was a knock at his bedroom door.

"Levi dear, are you ready?" His mother said with a muffled voice from the density of the wood of the door. He grunted.

He was no where near being ready, he didn't even have his meeting garb on - that's how unready he was.

"No. I'll never be ready. Don't make me go…" He said in reply. His mother only laughed.

"Now now don't be like that. I'm coming in." Following through with her statement, he heard the knob of his door turning and the creaks of the hinges as it swung open.

He turned on his back and sat up, his legs still dangling off the edge. His mother held his small little black robe and set it beside him on the bed. He only narrowed his eyes at the fabric.

"Isn't there someway I don't have to do this?" Levi muttered.

"Levi, please understand. It is vital for a warlock to have their familiar, their minion. Without one, your powers will always be lacking in what they could have and would have been. You must do this." His mother stated with a furrowed brow and pinched lip.

So he really has to, he thought dimly. What she just meant that he had to do it, even if it's just to use the poor demon. He shakes his head a bit at the thought and lets out a small breath of air.

"But why do I have to do it? I'm fine by myself. I don't need the power." Levi said with light boldness. His mother just sighed exasperatedly and looked at him.

"But you do need it, Levi. You are young, you do not know the harshness of warlocks lives without their demon. Your minion protects you from rogue demons, helps you in your spells, and will stay with you until the very end despite its own wishes. What more do I need to tell you?"

Rogue demon attacks, from what he hears circling about at school among warlocks, don't happen that often. Levi doubts he would ever encounter one, especially at his age. He hates how his mother takes on that tone when it comes to telling him what "mother knows best." He knows that she has his best interests in her heart but why can't she just understand that this is something he doesn't want to do? It seems like no one understands him anymore and the thought places a sweltering weight in his chest.

"... You're right. There isn't anything more you need to tell me. I get it now." He doesn't get it at all. It's not clicking in his head right. The nice mages, wizards, all classes of magical beings at school would automatically judge him anew once he walks in with a damned minion at his heel, listening to his every beck and call. They would assume "he's just like the rest of those hellish dark fiends, always needy and taking things by force."

He hates it.

His mother let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Good. Thats great, I know you would come around. Hurry up and get ready now, we have to leave in an hour." She rubbed his shoulder and walked out of the room, shutting the door in her wake.

He looked over to his robe and idly stared at it. It certainly suited a warlock, that's for sure. It was black and hung low, with dark red embellishments embroidered around the collar. It gave off a dark vibe every time he looked at it and he loathed having to stare at over a hundred more tonight for hours on end.

Reaching out his hand slowly, he gently touched the rough fabric. It's always felt extremely heavy, even for the small length of his own custom made robe like all of the other members.

He hops off the bed and turns to the clan clothing. He opens the top end and lifts it up like a tent, crawling inside so he could put it on. Once his head popped through, he lifted himself off of the bed and slipped his small arms through the sleeves. Yup, definitely uncomfortable. He scratched his upper arm from the outside of the robe so he could relieve the discomforting itch the fabric was causing from rubbing against his skin. He automatically regrets wearing a short sleeved shirt but he already has the robe on and it's just as difficult for him to get it off if not more than to get it on.

He'll never get used to the feeling of almost tripping every five minutes from the length of the robe. Whoever made this customly better get fired because the damn thing is way too long for his rather short body.

Picking up the ends, he navigated his way through his house to where his parents were more than likely waiting, which was the portal room. And that is where he found them.

"Levi, there you are. My, don't you look sophisticated in those? My boy is growing up." His father said with a compact smile on his face while he looked over Levi's swallowed body in the robe.

How does he look sophisticated? If anything, he looks like a floating head on top of a carnival tent with the size of the thing and how wide it was. He took a handful of the cloth and gripped it tightly, looking down at his feet.

"Seems like you need to get your eyes checked, father." Levi retorted mockingly. His father just laughed heartily at his comment, not officially replying and turned his back to him to fiddle with the portal some more before their departure. After a few more minutes of him messing with the dials to make sure they were all correct, they were ready to go.

"Alrighty Levi, time to go. Grab my hand, you might get lost on the way." His mother said, grasping his hand tightly.

Watching the portal start and witnessing the gates start to form was always amazing. It's as if the circular device gathered nonexistent mist around and turned it into some sort of hypnotic blue water passage. He was always mesmerized by the way the misty waves would roll and rotate all around as it took it's place in the center of the gate. The way those torrents would close around him and transport his entire bodily essence when he passed through is a different story altogether - it's a feeling indescribable. It doesn't make him dizzy, but it makes him light in the head, almost as if he was floating on thin air. He would feel cold surges rip through his hands and his mothers, as if touching a fleeting spirit. It was exhilarating to say the least.

* * *

Stepping out of the portal, Levi's excitement was short lived once he remembered what he was here to do tonight.

He let go of his mother's hand, shivering once a breeze blew by his face, disheveling his raven locks. He stuck his hands and arms up his sleeves to protect his skin from the brisk cold this place constantly had. It must be some warlock spell, he figures - the cold only centers around the mausoleum where his clan holds their meetings.

He hates how enclosed the stone walls are while descending the crypt - they make him feel like his tiny body is suffocating and he feels the need to hightail it out of there but knowing looks from his parents tell him to think otherwise. He swallows what little saliva he has left in his mouth.

Walking through the horde of other clan members, he gets caught on several robes and his face gets smacked a couple times by thick cloaks. Everyone is taller than him and he absolutely loathes it. It makes him feel vulnerable; someone susceptible to their teachings and heeding to every word they utter.

His parents weren't watching him anymore while they held a conversation with another affiliate of the clan so he looked around for a place to stay and preoccupy his next looming hours. Finding a clear spot in the corner of the meeting vault, he takes a seat and ignores the cobwebs beside him.

Squeezing his short legs to his chest, he wrapped his arms around them and bowed his head and rested it against his knees. He starts to feel the shakiness from earlier and it's harder to stay to calm. He stayed like this for a couple of moments until he felt a presence come up to his side.

"Hey kid, you alright?" Levi heard a voice from beside him so he glanced up to see a green face.

He pulled away faster as he thought was possible and ended up slamming his head on the other side of the wall of the corner.

"There's no way you're alright now." The green-faced thing snickered.

Levi turned back over to see a sharp, toothy grin being directed at him. Is a familiar trying to talk to him?

"I'm fine." Levi responded and rubbed the side of his head. He figured he banged it pretty hard since when he touched it, it stung and he had to hold back a wince.

"Whatever you say."

Levi looked back over to observe his new company. His whole body was, well, green. Nothing too shocking there. He was dressed in some intricate black toga - how weird. This is the first time he's seen a demon dress like this. The familiar had platinum hair that highly contrasted against his green skin and his eyes resembled a goats and he's not gonna lie, when the demon looked at him he felt his heart drop in fear from the sight.

But what threw him off the most was the leather collar bound tightly against the demon's throat like a coil; it looked painfully tight, as if it was choking the questioning familiar. His own hand came up and gingerly touched the skin on his neck. He couldn't fathom how it would feel to have a collar bound tightly around his neck like that. He was struck with fiery pity and need to know why he had it on.

"Isn't that painful?" Levi asked while pointing to his neck.

The green familiar looked back over to him inquiringly, fully observing him with his goat-like eyes.

"... If I say yes then my master won't be too happy." The familiar said with a downcast expression. Levi looked over with widened eyes but it was also then that he noticed the demon was wearing shackles. Shackles almost as tight as the collar, if not tighter.

His warlock is forcing him to wear that stupid collar and those shackles? He feels a boiling anger towards this demon's master and he's not sure why.

Levi thought he was never one to sympathize easily with others, he went with the idea that he just knew the limits to each thing he heard. But this demon is just amplifying his earlier thoughts of the day - he knows he shouldn't feel rage for his own people but he's… disgusted. Why is it so easy for someone as young as he to see the foul, maltreatment of this poor demon that asked if he was alright when he didn't even know him when there are adults all around that don't even bat an eye at the demons condition. There's something churning in his stomach but he doesn't know any of the correct words to place what it could be.

Levi looked back over to the familiar.

"Why do you… accept that kind of treatment?"

The familiar looked off to the side while he contemplated the answer. "I'm nothing without my master."

"Do you really think that?" Levi asked.

"I'm not really sure what I think anymore."

He really can't do this. He will not accept a demon being forced into submission by his hand; he won't end up like all these other corrupted, sadistical beings around him. Standing up suddenly, his mind was rolling. Why does he think like he does? He asks himself daily why he isn't like other warlocks around him. He always thinks that one day he is going to wake up and suddenly his thought process will have changed and he fears that day he will not know himself anymore. It makes him scared because a boy of just ten years old shouldn't be thinking these thoughts, none of the other classmates he talks to thinks this way. The mages, the wizards - they are all happy, their parents listen to them, and once they complete a spell they are congratulated no matter how well or bad they did.

His parents on the other hand, they always push and tell him to do better and tell him it's never good enough. Always strive to be the strongest, and you will triumph they always say. But of course they love him, even he knows that. They just have something clouding their thoughts. If he thinks hard enough for the word, he thinks it's pride.

"I'm sorry." Levi mumbled before he ambled towards the exit of the vault, breaking out into a run to get there faster.

He didn't even look back as he ran all the way out of the catacombs, leaving the mausoleum and ignoring the chilling night air. Not once did he see his parents turn to see where he was going if they even cared where he was in there. Wasn't that supposed to be a special night for him? He doesn't want to worry about his parents troublesome relations with other clan members - right now he just wants to get out of the vicinity of other warlocks and shackled minions. He needs to clear his thoughts that are getting jumbled and hazy.

* * *

Levi ran until his little legs started to go numb and couldn't catch his breath anymore. At least he was out of the cold air and that was all that mattered to him while he looked around to take in his surroundings of where he now stood.

He placed his hand on a large, tall tree that was beside him. He was in some sort of field but he had no idea where. If he looks far enough, he thinks he sees fields of flowers - tulips maybe. Thinking that he needs to rest his legs for just a little while, he sits down slowly in the grass by the tree.

How is he going to explain this to his parents? Will they even be able to find him? Knowing them, they'll be able to figure it out. They always do. But his little ten year old mind fears for being lost forever but he shakes those negative notions out - he'll find his way back somehow when push comes to shove. He hopes.

"Hi there, little warlock." Rang a voice from above him.

He shot up to his feet from his sitting position but the nerves in his legs wore out so he wobbled clumsily back down to the grass. His heart started to stammer and pound in his chest. Where is that voice coming from? Before he has any time to finish any sort of thought he had left, he heard a light laugh and the creature fell from the tree with utmost grace, landing softly right next to his spot on the grass.

All Levi could do was look up dumbfoundedly. The creature that fell had bat-like wings, transparent and outlined with brown sharp points that faded to black. The wingspan of them was huge, or what he gathered in the little time he had to view them because as soon as it landed, it folded back in such a natural, elegant state.

No, this thing was certainly a demon.

The demon's bright eyes shined turquoise in the night and Levi felt fear pumping through his veins.

Levi observed the demon before him, taking in his parents advice to try to find a weakness to an oncoming threat. The demon was a man it seems, and he had dark chestnut hair with dark horns protruding from his scalp, curling up slightly at the ends. His outfit was definitely something different. He had on a black vest that buttoned on the far right side and his dark pants were baggy until it reached the demon's knees, then it seemed to wrap around tightly with the rest of his legs. What Levi took most notice of though was no marking of any master upon the demon's skin. This was a rogue demon. He swallowed hard.

Before he had any thoughts of what to do, the demon sat next to him, leaning back on his hands.

"So what brings you here to this field, little warlock?" The demon asked, not sparing Levi a look.

"How do you know I'm a warlock?" Levi asked, glancing over at the lounging demon. The demon held no look of threat on his face, somehow calming Levi's nerves just a bit and he felt the pounding in his chest lessen.

"It's not hard to figure it out. Your robe is kinda screaming it."

Oh right, he still had his robe on. He started to fiddle with the hem of his sleeve and felt springs of nervousness.

"... My family. I just wanted to get away." Levi isn't sure why he said such a personal thing. This is an older demon no doubt, much older than him. Maybe it was because this was the second demon today to approach him and really ask things about him that made his heart yearn for the attention he wanted as he was still a child.

"That makes both of us then."

"Is that so…" Levi muttered.

"You know, you're very quiet for a kid warlock. Usually they're always screaming 'I'll kill you!' by now." The demon looked over with a smirk on his face. Levi just looked down.

"My parents said maturity is a good feature to have..."

"Well loosen up. Live a little." The demon retorted and flicked Levi in the face with his tail, making Levi flinch in surprise. Levi turned widened icy orbs to the demon.

"Aren't you supposed to be older than me? What's with the tail flicking?"

"I said loosen up." The demon said bluntly with a tone of friendliness and flicked him in the face with the thin tail with a furry end again. This time the fur tickled his cheeks and he let out a giggle.

Levi thought that rogue demons were supposed to be monsters hiding in each shadow, waiting to prey upon any unfortunate soul that just happened to pass by at the wrong time. His parent's advice is running through his head but he really just wants to be a child for once, this demon makes him want to express his youth and this confuses him. Is it alright to act his age for once?

"Is it alright if I… play with your tail?" Levi asked in a hushed voice and the demon just answered by smacking him in the face with his tail again.

He lowered his hand to the tail and touched the little furs at the end and let out a laugh. It's much softer when he's not being smacked with it. His small hands pet the fur that matches the demons hair color and he can't help but let a content smile form on his face.

"Mister demon… what's your name? If that's alright to ask." Levi asked shyly, still petting the tail.

"I'll give you mine as long as you give me yours." The demon replied. Levi squeezed the tail just a tiny bit with this small hands. His mother told him to never let a rogue demon know your name because it holds some kind of power over you but what his parent's say doesn't matter to him at the moment, he just wants to follow his own whims. A child's whims.

"Levi. My name is Levi."

"Then mine is Eren."


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: don't really have much to say here but uh... I hope you all enjoy!~_**

* * *

It's funny how time seems to fly by when you're having fun, Levi thought. He doesn't remember how long he's been here with Eren and all he knows is that he doesn't want it to end anytime soon, which is something foreign to him.

Friendship was always a hard thing for him to understand - his classmates would almost avoid talking to him at all costs, like most people did with warlocks. It didn't help that one day his mother thought it was a good idea to place him in the same room as several younger members of the clan when they were obviously in a high school ranged age. He was eight at the time so they just left him alone in an empty house to sit on the couch for two hours until someone noticed he was gone.

Befriending a demon, the idea seemed impossible to him and doing so would earn him the scorn from his parents if they were to ever find out. They would probably say something along the lines of, "They may love you, say they care about you, but you must never let them take advantage of you. Use them first before they use you. It's in a demon's nature, Levi."

Befriending a rogue demon, never in a million years would his young mind believe he would do just that. He has to giggle at it though, because all he has ever heard his whole life about rogue demons was how they were bad, how they kill mercilessly, and if you're an extremely unlucky being, you would come across the Gorger demons and all that would be left of your body is bones licked clean. This demon had not harmed him once tonight, he even let him play with his lovely tail and pet the shiny hair on top of his head while they laughed at silly things together.

He's never heard any stories of people stopping and talking to an unclaimed, taking the time to sincerely learn the personality of that demon. Surely Levi can't be the first, he's sure of it but the thought makes his cheeks tinge pink from happiness and he brings his hands together palm to palm and mushes his fingers a couple times in a small clap out of the excitement of gaining a new friend. He never knew it felt like this.

"The sun is going to come out in a few hours." Eren stated while he was gazing at the night sky.

Levi knew he was there for probably a long time, but the sun coming out so soon? His parents were going to kill him and if not then yell until their lungs give out. He looked down to the grass to give it a downcast expression and started to nervously pick at each blade.

"I should probably try going home soon then…" Levi said with an air of reluctance, pouting his lips.

He really didn't want to face his parents - it would be more than just normal scolding. He skipped out on a clan meeting, ignored his 'duties' as a warlock, and will more than likely get marked down for failing to summon his first demon even though he wasn't even there to try.

But he was happy and for some reason that's all that mattered to him at that moment. Doing what he finally wanted to do for once by making his own decisions, he met his very first friend.

"Yeah, I agree." Eren glanced over and gave a small grin. He stood up, dusted off any stray grass pieces he acquired while sitting and looked around in a searching fashion.

Not wanting to seem any smaller than he already is, Levi decided to stand as well - but quickly got shot back down at how short he still was standing next to Eren.

He couldn't help but admire how Eren truly was a magnificent demon; not that he's seen many demons in his young days but he couldn't stop himself from thinking it. He was not only nice but free from any rule over him as well. He was intimidating at times but he could also soothe and calm those around him - well, at least to Levi.

He nervously grabbed at his long robe, tightening his fist around the heavy fabric. Would this be the last time he ever sees him?

He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Eren…" He called out, not gaining the confidence to ask the question with his eyes open.

"Yes?" He heard Eren say in reply.

At least he was still willing to listen to him which made Levi delightfully happy. Even though he was still a child, the demon took time out of his night to talk to him and to Levi, the happiness is a welcoming change.

"If I leave, would this be the last time I see you? I know it sounds stupid coming from a kid b-but I want to consider you a friend…" Levi mumbled. He heard leaves crunch around him and he guessed that Eren was going somewhere. Curious, he opened one eye to peek at what he was doing.

To his surprise, Eren had walked in front of him and leaned down to his level and looked him in the eye.

"And you can if you promise me just one thing. Pinky promise, okay?" Eren smiled warmly and stuck out a pinky. Levi eyed the finger warily. What could he possibly be wanting him to promise? A promise to see him again, but promising something else as well. It was tempting but warning signals kept flaring in his mind. A promise with a demon… they hold onto them like one would a grudge.

He heard a teacher at school state that a promise is similar to how a wall is placed in front of you. You can look at it all you want but there's no way around it no matter how hard you try. The only way to get to the other side is to break the wall, break the promise, and you're left with something ugly in it's place. Or you could climb your way over, with help from the other side, keeping your promise on both ends. If he thought about it, he supposed it made sense. But for now, he wouldn't know if the promise is worth either breaking the wall, or climbing over for.

"Okay, and what's that?" Levi asked quietly.

"Promise me that you will not speak a word of seeing me tonight. If you do that, I guarantee that you will definitely see me again. Do I have your word for it, Levi?" Eren responded, his teal eyes glinting with some unknown threat to Levi.

He felt compelled to just answer 'yes!' with almost no thought when Eren voiced his promise and he couldn't help from thinking "Was this from a rogue demon knowing his name? But he was his friend, so it should be okay, right?" Levi was unsure, but he knew of his feelings and he definitely knew that he wanted to see the demon again, no matter the cost and the trouble it would get him in.

"I promise. Pinky promise." Levi beamed, nearly flinging his hand out and almost hitting his new friend in the face. Flushing with embarrassment, he lowered his hand and circled his pinky around the other's.

Eren chuckled at the excited boy and lifted his other hand to pet Levi's head, mussing up his black locks.

He did it. He actually promised a demon something, completely went against his parents' strict rules. He didn't know how he felt about it all. Maybe it was just something that was too much for him to comprehend or perhaps it was because he found that he really didn't care for once.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and giggled quietly at how motherly Eren started to become with his petting.

"And of course you can consider me a friend, little warlock. If you couldn't, I wouldn't have wasted my time here all night."

So he had heard that last part after all. Levi couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed, being upset after he had thought he was the only one considering each other friends. But Eren confirmed the friendship and he honestly couldn't have felt any happier than he did at that moment; he felt like his little heart would burst at the seams.

"I guess that's one way to put it…" Levi muttered under his breath.

"I meant it in the best of ways someone like me can manage." Eren shrugged and finally lifted himself of his leaning position and turned to glance at the trees past the field they were standing in.

"Don't you just mean a demon then?" Levi sent a sceptical glance at Eren because it was obvious what he actually meant.

Eren unfurled his wings and flapped each appendage once before replying. "Ugh! Stop thinking so much. It's no fun."

Levi looked down from the sight of Eren's outstretched limbs.

"Really…"

Eren glanced back down to the fidgeting warlock and let out a huff of smoke. " I take it you let words influence you too much, don't you?"

Taking a few moments to think about those words, he decided that he had to disagree but Eren wasn't completely off. It wasn't someone's words that influenced him, but more about how over time, he's learned that people drop any if not all arguments when you just agree with them and end the conversation there. Did it make him happy? Of course it didn't. It aggravated him to no end, made him want to pull his hair out at the sheer thought of it. But he sticks to what he believes, even if he has to bury it deep inside him. In the end, he supposes that's what matters most, right?

He still doesn't know.

"I'm not really sure of human or warlock-" He waved his hands at the terms."-antics but I guess it's understandable, you're still growing. It happens-" Not wanting to hear it any more, Levi went up to him and grabbed his hand shyly and shook his head when Eren sent a questioning gaze down at him.

"-but don't let it become a problem with how you make your own decisions, yeah?" Eren finished and pet his head again.

"Yeah, thank you Eren." Levi replied with a smile creeping back onto his face.

With no reply, Eren just kept petting his hair. He wasn't going to lie, he felt like some type of animal when the demon kept treating him like this but then again, didn't Eren let him treat him the same earlier? He guesses that he's just recompensating the favor.

"I'm getting the feeling you should start heading back now, Levi." Eren ceased his stroking on his hair and Levi looked up to see the demon narrowing his eyes towards the area of the forest that he entered from.

"I understand. I'll meet you again, won't I?" Levi asked, gripping his fingers firmer around Eren's palm to emphasize his need for the answer.

"That's what I promised, wasn't it?" Eren replied and looked down when Levi finally unfastened his prying fingers.

"Yeah it was." Levi let out a relieved sigh. "Goodbye."

"Bye bye, little warlock."

After hearing those last parting words, Levi took off for the forest in a light run. When he reached the entrance of the wood, he decided to cast one last look behind him and seen that Eren had already left as well. He felt a bit sad because it would have probably been an amazing sight to see the glorifying demon from this far because he was quite a sight in close proximity as well.

His friend… he can finally call someone that.

Turning back around, he continued to walk through all the trees, twigs, and plants - preparing himself to face the wrath of his furious parents.

"Levi! How dare you!" His mother screamed at him, pointing her finger in his face in a way that was similar to scolding a cowering puppy, but in this case, he was a cowering puppy because each word she enunciated he would involuntarily flinch and step a few feet back until he was sitting on their living room couch.

When his parents and other clan members found him wandering lost in the woods, they truly were furious. At first there was worry but once they laid their eyes on him okay and having a pip in his step, their eyes went red with rage and their faces contorted into scowls of anger.

They grabbed him by the shoulder and said that they would "talk about it later" and said apologies to the other clan members.

"Do you know how worried we were?! Your father and I looked everywhere for you. Explain yourself." His mother continued, placing her hands on her waist in an authoritative stance. He sent a pleading look to his father and he just shook his head at him in return, turning away to push up his glasses.

Levi lowered his eyes and stared at his socked feet. "I'm sorr-"

"Sorry doesn't work here, young man."

"But you know how I felt about going…" Levi mumbled, trying to defend himself somehow but also not wanting to further anger his mother.

"Yes, and you said you got over how you felt about it. It was your duty to go Levi, do you understand that? I thought I made it clear." His mother started to tap her foot impatiently.

"Your mother is right, Levi." His father said from behind his mother.

"... Yes, I understand."

"I don't think you do." His mother crossed her arms this time.

He wishes this would end. That they would just send him to his room to be grounded or something - anything but sitting here and them continuously reprimanding him.

"Now explain, what were you doing? Why did you leave?"

Oh no, what was he going to tell her? He made a promise to Eren to not tell his parents nor any clan member of their encounter and he was planning to keep it, but what was he going to do in the meantime? He was never good at making excuses on the spot.

"I-I needed fresh air, it was all too much for me to handle. I got lost in the process… I'm sorry." He said with his head still bowed in a low voice.

"Is that true?" His mother demanded harshly and he flinched from the tone of voice she was using. His father wasn't even saying anything, like usual.

He pinched his lips together, still refusing to lift his head in fear that his mother would see through his lie.

"Yes, mother. It is."

"I'm not done with this conversation and we'll talk about this later so for now go get washed up and go to bed for the night." His mother said before she turned around and stalked to the kitchen, leaving no room for Levi to say something but even if she did stay, he wouldn't have said anything back to that anyway.

He nodded, more to himself than anything, and ambled towards the bathroom.

When he entered the bathroom, he looked down and realized he still had the robe on. He grunted while bending over to grab the hem to attempt to pull it off. This was the part that always sucked.

If he didn't grab the end first, then he would get lost in the tent of a robe it was. So while holding onto the end of the black clothing, he slipped one arm out of the sleeve and the other followed suit. While still holding the ends and the sleeves as well, he pushed the heavy fabric off of his head and breathed a sigh of relief when the weight was lifted off of his small body.

He went to the tub, putting the plug in the drain and turned the knob for hot and cold water to let the tub fill.

He stripped himself slowly of his clothing and stepped into the hot water when it was done filling up, hissing from the scalding skin-to-water contact. He lowered himself in the tub until the water reached his shoulders and sat there to bask in the warmth.

Now having the time to calmly think, his mind started to race about the nights events. He was really not looking forward to finishing that conversation but he was glad that she left it at that. He was also glad that his father didn't step in, but that was no surprise there, he usually lets his mother do all the talking when it comes to getting things done.

He sighed and dropped even lower into the water until it was over his mouth, just slightly under his nose.

But Eren, that was something new. He's certainly met demons before, but never one without a master. Maybe that's why he was so confused about it all… he closed his eyes and tried to leave it at that.

He wishes he had more experience dealing with this 'friend' business because he honestly has no clue what to think about it. He was so much younger than Eren, probably younger than Eren even let on. He's heard stories of thousand year old demons that look not a day over twenty and he really hopes that's not the case here because not only would that make him feel even more of a kid, but his parents will probably definitely be out to kill either him or Eren, maybe both of them.

He shudders at the thought.

But he's sad; he's sad because he can't tell anyone about his new friendship and how happy it made him. His mother and father wouldn't ever want to hear of such a thing, especially if he broke the promise and told them, which he certainly wouldn't do.

He submerged his head fully into the water, thoroughly soaking the rest of his body. After a few moments of soundless rest, he rose himself back out of the water and pushed his hair out of his eyes. He grabbed the shampoo and scrubbed at his hair and proceeded with dunking his head back under the water. Rinse and repeat with conditioner and adding furious scrubbing at his skin to make it squeaky clean.

He grabbed the towel sitting on the rack beside the tub and stepped out to dry himself.

* * *

Dressed into his pajamas for the night, he went off to his room and turned off the lights before hopping into the bed. He hopes his mother would hold off the conversation until tomorrow because he really just wants to sleep his thoughts away.

He feels bad in a way for making his parents worry, but he doesn't regret his actions in any way. The thought of him becoming a problem child makes him giggle; he doesn't even want to try to imagine his parent's faces if that happens.

He picks up his blanket and drapes it over himself, turning around to place his face into his soft pillow. Closing his eyes, he feels his mind start to slow down from his marathon from earlier and soon enough, the last thought that he is able to recall before he falls asleep for the night is when he will possibly see his friend next.

* * *

He was so tired; not only was his eyes blurry every time he blinked but he also felt a long line of dried drool down his face.

He laid there in his bed refusing to move until he could at least see. After blinking repeatedly and clearing up the fogginess the best he could manage, he decided that he should probably get up before his mother storms in the room like she usually does in the mornings before school.

Trying to untangle himself from the blankets he swallowed and wrapped himself in, he squirmed too much to the edge of the bed and ended up falling off. Maybe he'll just stay here for a little bit, he thought as he set his forehead on the fuzzy carpet.

Or not.

He heard a quick rapping at the door and a voice yelled from behind it.

"Get up Levi, it's almost time for school." His mother yelled and heard her start to walk away.

He grunted into the carpet and decided that he probably should get up.

"Breakfast is ready too."His mother yelled once more. He rolled his eyes when he pushed himself up enough that he was sitting on his knees. He stared at the door and started contemplating. Deal with his mother right now, or starve until lunch later on in the day? His stomach growled at the mention of food. He hasn't eaten anything since yesterday when he got home from school.

Rubbing his stomach to calm it's grumbling, he chose to get up and just deal with his mother. But not before he gets dressed and scrubs the stupid drool off his face because it's starting to hurt when he tries to even open his mouth.

* * *

He walked into the kitchen and seen that his mother had already set his plate. He smelled the air and he could make out eggs,bacon, and probably toast.

He slowly made his way to the seat and hesitantly picked up the fork. He looked at his mother that was starting to sit down as well but she had no food in front of her. So this was how she was going to settle it, he thought dimly. A calm reasoning over the table and no way out of it this time. He suddenly doesn't feel so hungry anymore.

"Honey, you have to know how me and your father felt. We had no idea what happened to you, what could have happened." She started.

He felt his throat start to contract and guilt started to rip at his chest. So they really were worried about him. He told himself that he didn't care but that was in that moment with the demon and he found himself actually caring a whole lot. He hated it, why does he always have to go through confusing feelings all the time? Was this because he was still too young to understand it all? If that's so then he just wants to be older already.

He lowered his head and stared at his eggs. He stayed silent, he had no words for what he had done. But yet, he found that he still didn't regret any of it - even if it did make his parents sad.

"You said you're sorry, and I do believe you, dear. I love you very much, and I take into account your views on things but sometimes… you have to do what's right for the clan."

But what's right for the clan is stupid to him. He's told his mother how he felt about summoning a demon and doing little tasks for the clan - about how he hates it. She just doesn't listen, even though she says she does.

"You're not off the hook for what you did, but I'll go lenient on you since this is the first you've ever pulled something like that. You're getting to that age and I understand, but please don't do it again. It just kills me and your father." His mother stopped at that and drank her mug of coffee.

He decided not to say anything because it would probably just come out all wrong.

He took a bite of his food and relaxed. He didn't have to make any excuses anymore. He wouldn't have any chance to slip up about his friend if he were to get too worked up and he wouldn't know what he would do with himself if he did that. There was one thing he had to ask about it, and if she started to lecture he could just tell her that he was going to be late for school and that would be the end of it.

"Do I still have to summon that oh-so-important demon of mine?" He snarked.

"Don't be like that, Levi. Of course you do, we just don't know when now. The member in charge is angry at the stunt you did, you'll be lucky if you get into the next summoning."

Even though he nodded his head to her, he was so relieved - he didn't have to do it! He could do cartwheels here at the kitchen table he was so happy. Granted he'd probably break his face in the process since he didn't exactly know how to do them, but the point still stands. He personally doesn't know when the next summoning meeting is going to happen, but his mother pretty much said it wasn't going to be soon so he commenced with the inner celebration.

He shoveled the rest of the food in his mouth and set the plate in the sink. He ran to the living room to grab his academy cardigan, hastily putting it on and grabbed his bag.

"I've never seen you so excited to go to school before." His mother chuckled at his excitement when she walked out of the kitchen and into the living room to where he was.

He laced his shoes and stood by the door while he replied to her.

"Yeah, me neither." He smiled and waved goodbye to her, mumbling his 'love you' and 'see you later'.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: enjoy! ~**_

* * *

It's been a week since the encounter with the demon and Levi can't help but feel betrayed. Eren said, no he promised, that he would see him again. So why hasn't he seen him at all? He knows that Eren doesn't want anyone to know that he had met him that night and that completely makes sense because he's a rogue, an unclaimed demon from Hell, and one of the big factors of that is that it means if any warlock or bounty hunters that hear of him and find him they will surely force him into submission or they will kill him - and the worst, sell them to slave owners. And unfortunately for Levi,that's as much knowledge as he knows of that.

He remembers that Eren said he was wanting to get away from his family as well, so could it be that he's still having problems with his… whatever demon families are called? Or maybe he resolved his issues and went back home? He shook his head at himself for not knowing and obviously not being curious enough for the answer to ask when he was with his friend last.

If Eren in fact did go back to Hell, then that more than likely means that he wouldn't ever see him again. But surely he wasn't one to go back on promises, right?

Levi was angry at himself for trusting a demon so easily but he had good reason to. Anyone would trust someone if that was the first time that anyone has ever went up to them and actually made them feel like they could be themselves for once. Well, not fully himself because if he did that, then Eren would call him an annoying kid that complains a lot and leave him and he didn't want that.

But maybe Eren did think that of him and maybe that was why he hasn't seen the demon yet.

Growing aggravated, he flicked his pencil off his desk harshly and that earned him the irritated looks of kids around him. Why is he thinking of such complicated things during class? He grunts.

He was one of the only two warlocks in his class and it was just awkward for him all the time. He's gotten used to the looks always being directed to him when something happens and he could probably say the same thing for the other warlock.

He heard the professor let out the class for the day and he was glad - that means the looks would stop.

Walking through the hallways was always something he hated. This school had the look of being ancient - stone walls as well as random rolls of carpet in random corners and everything. It sucks even more because since he's so short, if he's not paying attention an older student will not be watching where they're going and shove him into said stone walls. He's had one too many bleeding foreheads and sore shoulders in his barely lived lifetime.

Gripping his grimoire tighter, damn this heavy spellbook, he made his way through the halls with little to no problems and started on his trek home.**  
**

* * *

And so, little Levi found himself sitting on a park bench. He frowned when he sat down and found that his legs still didn't reach the ground. His heart yearns for the day when he could just not look like an eight year old anymore. His luck, when he finally turns eighteen, the glorious year of being an adult, that he would then look like a ten year old he's supposed to be now.

He really hopes that's not the case.

Placing his hands under his thighs and swinging his legs, he looked around and was surprised that there was nobody in the park. It was after school so you would think that it would be swarming with excited kids or procrastinating ones, like him, that didn't want to go home just yet.

He heard a loud rustle in a nearby tree and ignored it, focusing his attention on a little caterpillar underneath the bench. It just keeps inching on slowly, keeps on keepin on…

He heard the rustle again.

Peeling his eyes away the colorful caterpillar, he directed his attention to the rustling tree. His eyes widened when he seen the wings he's been wanting to see all week just barely peek out for a moment, but that moment was all he needed.

He jumped off the bench and ran to the tree, quickly looking up to see Eren lounging on a branch on his stomach with his tail hanging off the side.

"Eren!" Levi grinned at the sight.

"Why do you look so happy? I did say I would come see you again, silly." Eren retorted with a smirk growing on his face.

"Because you're my friend. Isn't that how friends are supposed to react when they see each other or has all the information I've gathered in my life been a lie?" Levi responded and pouted his lips at him.

"That's not a long time for information." Eren glanced down at him with a skeptical look.

Levi started to fidget with that statement. He's always been self conscious of his age, no thanks to his parents. And now that's just been reassured with Eren. He felt his ears become red with embarrassment; he had to direct this somewhere else because he doesn't want to let his anger out on him.

He looked down at his shoes. "What's with you and trees anyway?"

"I like them and they like me. Why, you jealous?"

Levi looked back up and gave him a confused look. "Why on earth would I be jealous?"

"Because you're too small to get up here." Eren hid his mocking smile behind his hand and narrowed his eyes down at him.

Levi just scowled in return at the body lounging in the tree.

"I think we greeted each other on the wrong note, little warlock." Eren called from above and Levi seen him jump out of the tree just like he did the last time they met. He landed right in front of Levi and he had to stumble backwards so the demon wouldn't fall on top of him.

Little warlock, he likes to call him that a lot. To Levi, warlock is such a derogatory word. The first things that come to mind when one says such a thing is sadistic, people who are control freaks that could care less about any other being in this world. He clenched his fists.

"Please stop calling me that… I don't like to be associated with them."

Eren held up his hands and Levi immediately felt bad about voicing his feelings."Okay okay! Let's reset everything then - hi, Levi. Nice to see you again."

"... Hi." Levi nodded his head in acknowledgement and rubbed his wrist in an awkward stance. He glanced over to see Eren scrunching his eyebrows together at him as if he were in deep thought.

"Oh man, you're just like my adorable little darkhound kitten at home." Eren rushed up to him and squeezed him.

Levi's face was roughly pressed into the demons abdomen and he was finding it harder to breathe with the affection that Eren just started to randomly shower at him. So he reminded him of his stupid cat in Hell? Eren started to nuzzle his face into the top of Levi's head and he could faintly make out Eren trying to sniff him. He couldn't help but be disgruntled and a bit scared. In order to get the beast off of him, he started to pull at his vest from the back and when that didn't work, he began to hit his back with his fist a few times. With much reluctance it seemed, Eren pulled away.

"I don't know what came over me. His fur is just like the color of your hair and it's almost exactly the same amount of silk-"

"You're like a dog." Levi interjected and started to smooth out his raven hair that was left in a mess.

He says this but he's extremely happy that Eren showed him such a friendly side. Even if he did remind him of his cat. He'll have to swallow that hard fact and deal with it and just be happy that he did such a thing. And he's learned that demons can indeed have endeared pets in Hell, that's always exciting he guesses, but he wouldn't want to go there just to find out. But the fact was nice to know.

"I am and I can't help it. I miss that little guy…" Eren let out a little hum and stared at something past Levi's head.

"It's like… a cat?"

Eren leaned over and looked into Levi's icy eyes. "Yeah! He's an adorable little fiend, I tell you. When he starts to purr, little balls of smoke flare from his nostrils and when he's a excited he just pounces and attacks you. It's wonderful." Eren grinned and patted his waist to show his enthusiasm.

How could that ever be good? Demons really do confuse him.

"That doesn't sound-" Levi shakes his head. "-What's his name?"

"Zarcsin."

"How… cute." All Levi could think of when he said the cats' name was a pile of dead skin in a closet somewhere. He didn't want to offend his friend so he tried to keep a straight face, but there was no way he could cover up his brow twitch.

"Yeah, I know. Named him myself." Well, he certainly was confident in his naming abilities. Maybe it holds some deeper meaning in the underworld than here, he thought.

Eren started to walk out in the broad daylight and Levi ran after him, gently reaching out and touching his wing once he reached him to ask a question. He would remind himself never to do it again because it felt like a type of smooth leather but hairy at the same time. Grimacing, he pulled his hand back. But it did feel very different, that's for sure.

"Eren, isn't it bad to walk out in the open like this?" Levi asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" Eren glanced back to him with an inquisitive look.

"What I mean is that wouldn't it be bad for you?"

Eren flapped his wings and turned back around to keep walking. "Well I have a warlock at my side, don't I?"

"I…" Levi didn't know what to say

He never once thought of such a thing, but if that was the case then why did he want him to keep their meeting a secret? Thinking back to it, Eren was closely watching the forest and when Levi's parents found him in the woods he wasn't even walking for five minutes. There was no way he could just claim that Eren was his demon to his parents because they would know the truth.

But nowhere near home and no one knowing except clan members that he didn't summon his first familiar, he was in the clear to claim that this demon was in fact his. A white lie he would call it.

He giggles. "Yeah, you do."

"It's about time a situation came up that you could use the term warlock to your advantage, right?"

His eyes widened at Eren's statement. He never looked at it that way and he probably never would have if he wouldn't have said anything. He smiled at the thought - being a warlock really paid off for the first time in his whole entire life. It was a piece of himself that could be of some help to his friend.

"It is."

Levi ran up to walk beside Eren and was having a hard time to keep up with his pace because the demon had unfair long strides while he his little legs held him back. Apparently the demon noticed because he slowed down and glanced back, laughing at his distraught expression.

"If you have wings, then why are you walking?" Levi asked while he observed the little veins running through the transparent skin.

"Yeah, I have wings but that doesn't mean I want to use them all the time - I'm always flying around back home. They get so tired and they need a rest too, you know." Eren said mournfully and poked one of the sharp points of the appendage on his left side.

"That makes sense." Levi replied thoughtfully.

"Of course it makes sense." Eren stated defensively and swung his tail to flick Levi in the face. Damn that fluffy tail, he forgot it was even attached to him. He grabbed the tail and harshly pulled at it, earning a yelp from the demon.

"Woah, easy there cowboy. That hurts." Eren whined and snatched his tail back, rubbing the area just above his tailbone where the tail connects.

"Now you know how it feels." Levi said accusingly and started to pick at his fingernails.

Eren put his hands in the pockets of his pants and glanced over. "You're a vengeful little thing."

"Only because it's true."

"I'll have you know that my tail is a velvety gift from the devil himself." He finished his statement with a loud laugh and went to go stand around the bench where Levi's grimoire was sitting.

And velvety it was. If it was up to him, he would choose to play and pet the tail all day. Usually demon tails are sharp enough to the point to draw blood but Eren's was soft and fuzzy at the ends, almost like a lions tail, while thin black hair covered the muscle all the way up to where the tail connects to the spinal cord on his back. All of the other creatures spawned from Hell, if they had a tail, it was almost like a leather whip. He wouldn't dare go anywhere near those kind because if he did, his short stature would promise him instant sharp pain.

But wait, why was he so attached to the tail anyway? No wonder Eren compared him to his kitten - he really was like a cat.

He went to stand beside Eren but after a few moments he went to the bench to sit down; the demon following his example but perching himself on the backrest of the bench. He cautiously eyed the pointed, scaly talon-feet that was curved on the edge right by his face.

"Please don't make any sudden movements. I'd like to make it home with no injuries."

"Quit being such a hardass." Eren grunted and lifted his leg to wave his taloned feet on the side of Levi's face to tease him.

He just responded by sliding down the seat and scowling at the wiggling limb that kept getting closer and closer to his unblemished face.

"You're really going to hurt me here!" Levi whined as he put up a hand to deflect the scaled foot that kept lunging in his direction.

"The only thing that's going to hurt you is you falling off the edge of the seat and landing on your ass, little Levi." Eren responded with an air of indifference and continued on his path towards the boys' face.

As he was about to voice another complaint, the demons' foot dropped and he looked over to see him curiously eyeing his grimoire, tilting his head to the side as he studied it. He leaped down from his perch and sat down regularly on the bench, hesitantly reaching a long nailed finger out to touch the leather bound tome.

"I don't think that's a good idea…" He started to say but it was too late, as Eren was already grabbing the book.

Steam started rising from his palms as he held the grimoire loosely in his hands, face impassive as if the red marks appearing on his hands was no big deal and no pain was being inflicted. Levi's eyes widened and he was too shocked to even say anything to the busy demon. He just kept on casually leafing through each page of his grimoire, the red marks turning black on his palms.

Does this demon not know that he can't touch a warlocks spell book without it physically hurting him? But apparently he at least had some comprehension of that fact because he didn't even flinch from the scorching pain that was undoubtedly burning its way in his hands and arms.

It was one of the first spells placed upon a warlocks grimoire - the spell to keep out nosy demons. Every grimoire was different for each warlock of course, specifically why they put the spell on there in the first place because some warlocks are even ignorant enough to place their unbinding seal inside the book, thinking that it would be alright because it would cause pain to their familiars and other minions. This was obviously not the case and Eren continued reading as if it were nothing to care about.

He watched Eren's turquoise eyes read past each page, the pupils flicking back and forth, taking in all the knowledge written on each old parchment. Levi was definitely supposed to do something, wasn't he? Stopping him crossed his mind but not until he started to see black liquid start to drip on the light colored pavement.

He shot his hand out to forcefully, well as forcefully as he could with the limited strength he had in his still developing muscles, and took the bloody grimoire from the demon.

He grimaced in disgust at touching the hot black substance coating his book. He'll have to do something about that later before his parents see it but for now, he has to check if his friend is alright.

Eren was just staring at his hand, as if finally realizing that it was indeed injured. He stuck out his long tongue and started to lap at the liquid like it was an everyday thing. The sight made Levi gag and glance away for a second while he waited for his stomach to settle.

"That's gross..." He stated while narrowing his eyes at the dog-like actions before him.

Eren just shrugged and continued. "It get's the job done."

"... Are you okay?" Levi inquired, still refusing to look at Eren directly since his blood was staining the areas around his mouth.

"Stings, but I'll live."

"I may be young, but even I know that was a stupid move, Eren." He remarked softly, adjusting his grip on the book so it didn't slip out of his hands.

"Curiosity killed the cat, they say."

"But satisfaction brought it back. I get what you're trying to say; you dealt with the pain just to get some messed up sense of information? You could have just asked me what was in it." He took his cardigan off to gently wipe the drying blood off of his tome. He'll have to go on a whim and say that it's dirt, but who knows if his mother will believe him.

"My friend sure is smart, huh."

"If you even read what was in this, it wasn't worth the pain. It's the most basic of spells." He set the grimoire to the side of him, nowhere near Eren of course - he wouldn't ever trust him near it again - and folded his cardigan so the demonic plasma was covered.

Eren made a few humming noises and tapped his bloodied finger on the bench. "That's true, it wasn't worth it."

Levi just had to stare at what the demon was doing. Eren was absolutely filthy; he was spreading his living essence everywhere in the near vicinity and even drinking it just to clean it up. He felt his mouth start to gape open and he looked down at his ruined sweater.

"Ew, ew stop! Here, take it." He shoved the clothing into the demons lap, hoping he'll take the hint. " I don't want it anymore."

The demon snorted but picked it up anyway, clumsily cleaning up the mess on his hands, leaving stray marks scattered throughout each finger.

"I'm only ten and I can do a better job than you." Levi sighed and roughly picked up his dirtied fabric and started to clean Eren's hands, thoroughly purging the demon of the black substance that stained his dark skin. It would have been rubbed off more efficiently if he had some water but this will do for now, at least he can stand to look at his friend now. Barely.

"I'm not cleaning under those long nails and that face of yours though."

"I have it on my face?"

Levi made circular motions around his own mouth with his index finger to show where all the blood was. "A lot."

Eren experimentally took his middle finger and ran it around his mouth, gathering some of the leftover liquid and licked it clean. "Oh my, how embarrassing."

Another spasm hit Levi's stomach and he felt like he was going to be vomit.

He looked away and folded his hands together on his thighs."Somehow I doubt you really feel that way..." He mumbled.

Eren just chuckled and finally took the cardigan to his mouth to wipe off the rest. He must have done all of that just to make him even more sick. He never knew demons had such foul humor.

* * *

Levi ended up staying the park for nearly two hours, and of course his mother was going to be angry, but he finally got to spend time with his friend and he would put up with any time of scolding if it meant he could have as much fun as he did today. Although it's ridiculous to say such a thing, spending time with Eren is almost like spending time with kids his age. That's probably saying the demon's maturity level is as low as his but he guesses that he's just trying to be childish for the sake of him "coming out of his shell" and surprisingly, it worked. Levi found himself laughing and joking alongside the demon; even throwing sarcastic comments of his own to match Eren's. It was a wonderful feeling.

"Eren, if I told you to push me into a mud hole, would you do it?" Levi turned to look Eren in the eye, displaying all the seriousness he could muster into his expression.

"Are you asking a demon, _a demon_, to do something that could cause emotional pain, Levi?"

Levi blinked. "I'm not really sure what you mean by that but sure."

Eren grinned maniacally with his sharpened canine teeth showing and lowered his lids deviously. "It's in a demons nature to love doing mischievous things, you don't even have to ask. Although I am curious, why?"

"My mother is going to hang me if she finds out this is demons blood." He picked up the grubby sweater and waved it in front of Eren's face.

Eren kept his grin while he lifted his hand into a thinking position on his chin."In short, to make yourself even more dirtier to cover it up? I see… I could do that. But I want you to know, I won't feel bad."

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't already know that…" Levi muttered in reply.

He did feel kind of hurt by the words but he really couldn't have expected anything less than that from a demon, he already knows their sneaky behavior.

"Let me just conjure up a simple water invocation then."

* * *

Eren shook his head at the wet mess in front of him. "I don't care if you remind me of my cute kitten at home - I'm not touching you goodbye."

Levi was covered head to toe in the filthy wet soil; the mud was caked into every string of his chair, even the short hairs of his undercut. Some of the soil got into his eyes and he went blind for a few moments and when his vision became clear, the first thing he seen was Eren hiding his laughter.

"You pushed me too hard, you fool!" Levi yelled.

"You never gave me a specific force to go by." Eren remarked and just shrugged his shoulders.

Levi rolled his eyes at the unconcerned attitude the demon was emitting. "You didn't have to put all your strength into it."

"I didn't, you're just small and light. The wind pushed you further."

Levi shook his head and sloshed water at the snickering Eren and he flinched from the sudden contact with the cold liquid, cursing when dirt tarnished his black clothing.

Glancing at the trees, Levi noticed that the sun was starting to finally set for the evening. He definitely had to get home soon and hopefully this was a good excuse to be late.

"... I have to go home now, Eren."

"Alrighty, I'll see you sometime later my little Zarcsin." Eren smiled and patted Levi on the head.

His ears scorched from being called the pet's name, he didn't want his name to be replaced with the demons' kitten. "I don't want to be called your cat!"

Levi turned around, picked up his grimoire, and stomped his way out of the park. He made his way up the familiar streets and corners, water dripping consistently behind him the entire way.

* * *

Maybe he shouldn't have been as angry as he was when he stormed out of the park. He should have asked when he could see him again, when they could at least even talk some more. He was his friend afterall.

He also wanted to talk about how bad of an idea it was to even come up with the his plan of getting his school cardigan even dirtier - but it was for a good cause. He had to cover the demon blood up somehow and he certainly wasn't going to try to explain where his sweater went within the school day.

He turned the knob to his front door and sloshed his way inside and made eye contact with his mother sitting on the couch reading a book. When she looked up she immediately dropped everything that was doing and ran up to him.

"Levi! What in the devils name happened to you?!" She delicately touched his face and cringed when some of the dirt got on her fingers.

"I… fell into a puddle at school. It was a lot bigger than I thought it was and I got stuck." He looked down at his soaking shoes.

"Was it those Kirsteins again? I told them to leave you alone!" His mother started to pace frantically and he stuttered before getting anything out.

"No, no - well at least I don't think so, some older kids just pushed me on accident again and I couldn't stop from falling." He gripped his elbow to convince his mother how embarrassed he must have been if that was truly the story.

"... Alright, if you say so. But if this happens again, I'm going up to the school. Take your shoes off and dress in some warm clean clothes before you get sick." His mother sighed and went to the kitchen to grab a few nearby dish rags to clean up the water at the front door.

He nodded silently and made his way to his room, closing the door behind him. Guilt gripped at him once more as he realized that he just lied to his mother again all for the sake of Eren, but it was absolutely necessary this time. He knew that.


End file.
